Gs
- morris allan



Nov. 9, 1965 M. LAN 3,216,468

METHODS OF PRODUCING SHEET F wooD VENEER AND THE SHEETS OF WOOD VENEER so PRODUCED 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 8, 1965 r 0 A n e v n I MORRIS ALLAN Nov. 9, 1965 ALLAN 3,216,468

METHODS OF PRODUCING SHEETS 0F WOOD VENEER AND THE SHEETS OF WOOD VENEER SO PRODUCED Filed Oct. 8, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MORRIS ALLAN Inventor BY vA-lle A Horn e y Unite This invention relates to methods of producing sheets of wood veneer and to the wood veneer so produced.

Sheets of wood veneer are conventionally out directly from a log which may have been squared or quartered and the quality of the veneer obtained depends entirely on the growth of the tree from which the log was taken. In general only a comparatively small proportion of the available trees yield logs from which high quality wood veneers may be sliced, and accordingly many proposals have been made for producing sheets of wood veneer which have the appearance of having been cut from a tree, the growth of which has been regular.

The methods of manufacturing sheets of wood veneer which simulate natural veneers of high quality have all involved the assembly of a plurality of veneer laminations into a block from which the final product is cut. However, none of the methods proposed hitherto have yielded sheets of wood veneer which have an artificial flower and which are of a commercially acceptable quality.

In fact it has hitherto been considered impossible to obtain a veneer of high quality which has an artificial flower.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of producing a sheet of wood veneer comprising the steps of cutting a plurality of veneer laminations, uniting the said plurality of veneer laminations using an adhesive between the laminations to form a shaped block having the grain of all the individual veneer laminations comprising the block running in parallel and having the said individual veneer laminations similarly bent in order to form a concavity running along a central portion of one surface of the block in the same direction as the grain of the said individual veneer laminations, and slicing the block with a knife which acts to cut successively aross the layers of adhesive between the individual veneer laminations to yield sheets of figured veneer having smooth surfaces suitable for polishing.

In particular the knife which carries out the slicing acts to cut successively across the layers of adhesive between the portions of the individual veneer laminations which form the sides of the concavity in the surface of the block and in the body of the block.

The method of slicing the shaped block according to the invention is conveniently carried out by a rotary cutting machine, the blade of which acts to cut the block in a direction at right angles to the direction of the concavity in the surface of the block.

According to this aspect, therefore, the present invention provides a method of producing a sheet of wood veneer comprising the steps of cutting a plurality of veneer laminations, forming from the veneer laminations a shaped block having the grain of all the individual veneer laminations comprising the block running in parallel and having the said individual veneer laminations similarly bent in order to form a concavity running along a central portion of one surface of the block in the same direction as the grain of the said individual veneer laminations, and slicing the block with the knife of a rotary cutting machine acting to cut the block in a direction at f Patent F Patented Nov. 9, 1965 right angles to the direction of the concavity in the surface of the block to obtain sheets of figured veneer having smooth surfaces suitable for polishing.

In addition to simulating natural veneers of high qual- 1ty, the present invention can be used to produce sheets of wood veneer having a figured pattern or flower similar to that obtained from natural wood of high quality, the flower being represented in artificial colours. According to the invention, this is achieved by forming the shaped block from a plurality of veneer laminations of different colours.

Advantageously the veneer laminations are formed into a block having a U shape or a V shape which defines the concavity running along the surface of the central portion of the block in the same direction as the grain of the individual veneer laminations. Consequently the grain of the veneer laminations runs along the length of the U or V in the block.

According to a further aspect, therefore, the present invention provides a method of producing a sheet of wood veneer comprising the steps of cutting a plurality of veneer laminations having a number of different colours, arranging the said plurality of veneer laminations in a stack with the grain of the veneer laminations in parallel, applying an adhesive between the laminations comprising the stack, forming from the stack of veneer laminations by pressing a block having the shape of a U or a V in which the grains of the laminations run in the same direction as the concavity formed by the U or the V of the block, mounting the part of the shaped block containing the apex of the shaped laminations in a rotary slicing machine and slicing the block with the knife of the rotary slicing machine to form sheets of figured veneer having smooth surfaces suitable for polishing by cutting in succession across the layers of adhesive between the individual veneer laminations comprising the sides of the concavity of the block.

Desirably, the angle at which the layers of adhesive between the successive laminations comprising the block is cut is maintained between 45 and for the major part of the cut, which is the action of the knife through the veneer laminations comprising the arms of the V of the block. This angle of the cutting blade can be maintained in the desired region by continuously varying the angle of the blade to the block as the blade slices through the block and a method in which this is done, utilising a rotary cutting machine, will be described later.

As a variation on producing a figured veneer having an artificial flower simulating that of a high class wood, it is possible to introduce irregularities in the figure of the veneer by deliberately forming the concavity in the block with one or more undulations.

The profile of the actual block which is sliced to obtain the figured veneer with smooth surfaces is immaterial provided that the individual laminations are similarly bent, for example, into the configuration of a V as will be described. The block may itself have the shape of a V or it may first be trimmed to a substantially rectangular shape or indeed to any shape which is appropriate and suitable for the veneer slicing machine by which the final veneers are to be sliced from the block.

The invention also comprehends a fabricated sheet of wood veneer comprising a slice of veneer cut from a block formed in a U-shape or a V-shape by a plurality of veneer laminations which have been bonded together with the grain of the wood in all laminations extending in the same direction and along the length of the U or the V of the block, the slice of veneer being a figured veneer having smooth surfaces suitable for polishing.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, one embodiment thereof will now be described,

by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows diagrammatically a glued stack of I veneer laminations in a press having male and female V-shaped jigs,

FIGURE 2 shows in perspective the V-shaped block prepared by pressing the stack of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 shows the preferred method of cutting the V-shaped block of FIGURE 1 using a rotary cutting machine,

FIGURE 4 shows the veneer obtained by cutting the block by the method of FIGURE 3, and

FIGURE 5 shows a veneer produced by a similar method to the veneer of FIGURE 4, but having irregularities introduced in the artificial flower.

In the drawings like reference numerals designate the same or similar parts.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a glued stack of veneer laminations 1 is prepared in the usual manner, namely by stripping sheets of Wood from a log which has preferably been steamed to aid cutting, cutting the sheets of wood into laminations of a predetermined size and free from imperfections, selecting a number of veneer laminations and applying glue to the veneer laminations in the conventional manner and placing the laminations in a stack, so that the grain and the flower of the wood in each veneer lamination runs in the same direction throughout the stack of veneer laminations.

Before the glue has set, the stack of veneer laminations 1 is placed on the lower female V-shaped jig 2 in a press with the grain of the wood in a direction across the V of the lower jig 2. The stack of veneer laminations is then compressed by applying pressure to the male V- shaped jig 3 and compressing the blocks to set the glue. The glue may be any suitable synthetic resin adhesive.

The V-shaped block prepared in this manner is shown in FIGURE 2 and the natural flower and grain are indicated by numerals 4 and 5 respectively.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, the V-shaped block of veneer laminations 6 is shown mounted with the apex of the V in the jig 7 of a rotary cutting machine. The machine causes the block 6 to be rotated in the direction of the arrow 8 so that the blade 9 strips the sliced veneer 10 from the surface 11 of the V-shaped block.

The action of the rotary slicing machine in which the blade is acting throughout the majority of the slicing operation at such an angle that it is cutting across the layers of adhesive between the individual veneer laminations is such as to produce a sheet of figured veneer having smooth surfaces suitable for polishing. It will be appreciated that the block is being cut in a direction at right angles to the direction of the concavity of the V in the surface of the block prepared, which V is present in each of the veneer laminations comprising the block.

In FIGURE 4 there is shown a sheet 12 of veneer produced by themethod which is described. The artificial flower 13 in the veneer runs in a direction parallel to the direction 14 of the grain of the individual laminations comprising the block from which the "Sheet of veneer is cut.

A variation in the pattern of the veneer obtained may be achieved by introducing small chippings or particles of wood between the veneer laminations, particularly in the central portion which is to form the concavity in the block. These chippings may, for example, be of a size of the order of 0.7 mm. so that the contours in the individual laminations comprising the block 6 are comparatively slight. However, the irregularities in the flower obtained in the resulting sheets of veneer is quite substantial and is indicated at 15 in FIGURE 5 of the drawmgs.

The veneers produced by the method of the present invention are mechanically strong and pliable and, moreover, when polished, give rise to an extremely smooth and regular surface.

I claim:

1. A method of producing a sheet of wood veneer comprising the steps of cutting a plurality of veneer laminations, assembling the said plurality of veneer laminations in a stack having an adhesive between the laminations comprising the stack, and the grain of the veneer laminations comprising the stack lying in parallel, forming from the stack of veneer laminations by pressing a block having the shape of a U or a V in which the grains of the laminations run in the same direction as the concavity formed by the U or the V of the block, mounting the part of the shaped block containing the apex of the shaped laminations in a rotary slicing machine and slicing the block with the knife of the rotary slicing machine to form sheets of figured veneer having smooth surfaces suitable for polishing by cutting in succession across the layers of adhesive between the individual veneer laminations comprising the sides of the concavity of the block.

2. A method of producing a sheet of wood veneer comprising the steps of cutting a plurality of veneer laminations having a number of different colours, arranging the said plurality of veneer laminations in a stack with the grain of the veneer laminations in parallel, applying an adhesive between the laminations comprising the stack, forming from the stack of veneer laminations by pressing a block having the shape of a U or a V in which the grains of the laminations run in the same direction as the concavity formed by the U or the V of the block, mounting the part of the shaped block containing the apex of the shaped laminations in a rotary slicing machine and slicing the block with the knife of the rotary slicing machine to form sheets "of figured veneer having smooth surfaces suitable for polishing by cutting in succession across the layers of adhesive between the individual veneer laminations comprising the sides of the concavity of the block.

3. A method according to claim 2 in which the concavity is formed with one or more undulations whereby there are obtained irregularities in the .figure of the veneer sliced from the block.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,992,715 2/35 O venhausen 20-89 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

'HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF PRODUCING A SHEET OF WOOD VENEER COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CUTTING A PLURALITY OF VENEER LAMINATIONS, ASSEMBLING THE SAID PLURALITY OF VENEER LAMINATIONS IN A STACK HAVING AN ADHESIVE BETWEEN THE LAMINATIONS COMPRISING THE STACK, AND THE GRAIN OF THE VENEER LAMINATIONS COMPRISING THE STACK LYING IN PARALLEL, FORMING FROM THE STACK OF VENEER LAMINATIONS BY PRESSING A BLOCK HAVING THE SHAPE OF A U OR A V IN WHICH THE GRAINS OF THE LAMINATIONS RUN IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE CONCAVITY FORMED BY THE U OR THE V OF THE BLOCK, MOUNTING THE PART OF THE SHAPED BLOCK CONTAINING THE APEX OF THE SHAPED LAMINATIONS IN A ROTARY SLICING MACHINE AND SLICING THE BLOCK WITH THE KNIFE OF THE ROTARY SLICING MACHINE TO FORM SHEETS OF FIGURED VENEER HAVING SMOOTH SURFACES SUITABLE FOR POLISHING BY CUTTING IN SUCCESSION ACROSS THE LAYERS OF ADHESIVE BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUAL VENEER LAMINATIONS COMPRISING THE SIDES OF THE CONCAVITY OF THE BLOCK. 